


"Can we build a rocket?"

by cold_nights_summer_days



Series: Stardust [4]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Christmas Eve Fluff, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, In September, Kid Peter Parker, October Sky - Freeform, Peter Parker Has a Family, Precious Peter Parker, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark is Good With Kids, Tony Stark totally goes overboard at Christmas and you can't convince me otherwise, Traditions, a lot of it guys, because i wanted it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-07 22:40:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20824970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cold_nights_summer_days/pseuds/cold_nights_summer_days
Summary: Winter Break!! Christmas Eve Traditions!! Fluff!!OR:The fourth installment of the Stardust series brings to you Christmas fluff (yes I know it's September, no I don't care) and the gift to the world that is Peter Stark.





	"Can we build a rocket?"

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry I dropped off the face of the earth for a little while . . . You should be seeing a lot more of me soon, though, because I'm a part of like four different writing challenges through the end of the year! I hope you enjoy this little thing because I had so much fun writing it! All of your comments inspire me to keep writing, and if we're being honest, you can thank @baloobird for this because their comment is the one that pushed me over the edge tonight. Also, thank you so much to those of you who have read my other stuff because I'm almost at 25,000 hits and I couldn't be happier! Who knew when I started posting in April that this would happen? Well, my best friend did, but I may or may not have believed her until today . . . 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> update: this used to say P.S. because I had a funny little note but I just checked and I guess I forgot to type it 😂 so my bad to anyone who read P.S. and wondered why it didn't say anything else.

Winter break was finally upon the Stark family, and if Tony was known for anything, it was for being over the top. Christmas was no exception. He hadn’t celebrated it much outside of corporate parties and small gift exchanges after his parents passed away, but Peter had changed all that. Now they had a twelve-foot tree in the living room, hundreds of feet of fairy lights and garland, as well as a candle that smelled like pine in every room of the house. Six stockings hung on the fireplace (it would have been just two, but Peter insisted that Jarvis and the bots deserved one, too) and every doorway was hung with mistletoe. And if there was always Christmas music playing softly in the background, nobody else had to know.

They spent a few days in New York because Tony had to supervise a few things for the new Stark Industries building, but he made up for it by taking Peter sledding, where they only incurred minor injuries. It wasn’t really their fault. Neither of them had expected the hot chocolate they brought to be that hot. The next day Tony took Peter to Central Park and they ice skated. The paparazzi has some embarrassing pictures of him now, but it was all worth it for the smile on his kid’s precious face.

Peter thoroughly enjoyed the trip to New York, even the time he spent at work with his dad. Most kids would have found it boring, but Peter was interested in the science and engineering behind it all. Even if he didn’t understand most of it. Eventually he would, and then it would be even cooler.

Two days before Christmas Eve Peter and Tony took the private jet home. Peter wasn’t particularly fond of planes, but he loved flying at night. His face was pressed to the window all the time he wasn’t asleep, staring at the lights below and stars above. Tony smiled and Peter’s hair, all the while wondering how someone like him ended up with such an angel.

“You know I love you right, kiddo?” Tony asked quietly. Peter turned to look at him with doe eyes and a toothy grin. Tony asked this question a lot, and though Peter didn’t know why, he answered the same as he always did.

“Of course! I love you too, dad.” He said before turning to look out the window. Tony prayed that Peter would never understand why he asked that question so often, just like he used to pray that his dad would say those three words to him.

∞

As per their tradition, Christmas Eve morning started with family breakfast. Or more accurately, family breakfast _cooking_. Sure, Peter didn’t do much because he was only eight, but he was still an important part of the process. Who else would drop flour and pancake batter on the kitchen floor? Or “accidently” put too much ginger in the bowl?

No matter how much of a mess the two made, though, Tony was sure it would never top the year of 2003. Peter took the term “terrible two’s” to the extreme that year, knocking no less than every single thing off the counter. Then he had to sit there for thirty minutes while Tony made sure all the broken glass and sticky liquids off the floor, which he wasn’t incredibly pleased about. When Pepper had arrived for breakfast (which still hadn’t been made) she commented that Peter was worse than her cat. To say the least, Christmas Eve 2003 was a trying time.

Luckily, this year was different. Sort of. The kitchen was still a mess, but that was part of the fun. Peter had even set the table by the time Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy arrived. Tony was glad that Peter thought of them as family. Rhodey and Happy were the fun uncles and Pepper was the responsible adult Peter needed. Not that Tony wasn’t responsible, but he found it considerably harder to say no when Peter wanted to stay home from school.

Breakfast passed smoothly, full of laughter and reminiscent stories. Tony and Peter were left to their own devices after breakfast because Rhodey and Pepper both had flights to catch to fly home (“Say hi to mom for me, okay Rhodey? And don’t forget to video chat tomorrow morning.”). Happy also left to do whatever it was he did to celebrate Christmas Eve.

“So, Peter, what you want to do today?” Tony asked, placing the last of the dishes into the dishwasher. Peter shrugged his shoulders and kicked his feet against the counter.

“Can we watch a movie? I want to watch one about space.”

“Oh, don’t you always. Lucky for you, I have the perfect one. How does October Sky sound?”

“What’s it about?”

“Rockets.” Tony smiled conspiratorially. Peter giggled.

“Perfect.”

∞

“How could his dad treat him like that?” Peter wondered aloud, looking to Tony for an answer. “I mean, that’s his _dream_ and he told him he wasn’t allowed to do it!”

Tony looked down at Peter, who was tucked protectively under his arm with his head resting next to the arc reactor. “I don’t know,” He lied easily. “Some people are just like that, kiddo. They don’t care about other people.”

“Even when it’s their family?” Tony nodded. Peter gasped. “That’s horrible!”

And then, forgetting what they were talking about like only kids seemed to do, Peter changed the topic.

“Can we build a rocket?”

“Of course, kiddo. We can build a rocket.”

∞

Several movies and space documentaries later, Peter’s head was lolling against Tony’s shoulder. Usually he would simply carry Peter up to bed and put him to sleep, but tonight was Christmas Eve and Peter still hadn’t opened his present.

Tony gently shook Peter awake, laughing at the kid’s wide yawn and muffled whisper of, “What time is it?”

“Time to open your one present.” He replied. Peter’s eyes widened as he suddenly woke up and glanced over to the outrageous tree. “Its outside though, so we have to go put on jackets and shoes.”

Peter obliged, jumping from the couch and running to the hall closet. Tony nearly called for him to slow down, afraid that his socked feet would slip, but who was he to challenge the kid’s excitement? So, after they both had shoes and jackets (Tony would have been fine without one but wore one anyway to avoid being a hypocrite), Peter ran to the back deck with Tony close behind.

Peter stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a telescope larger than he was with a large red bow stuck to the top. He took turns staring at Tony and telescope, unsure of where to direct his full attention. Tony only smiled at him, savoring the look of pure excitement on his face.

“Is that a telescope?” Peter squeaked out, rushing over to it. He had to pull over a deck chair to look through the eyepiece properly. It was completely adorable.

“I sure hope so. Otherwise I might have ordered the wrong thing.”

“This is so awesome! Thanks, dad!”

In that moment, Tony knew he had made the right decision all those years ago when Mary asked if he would raise Peter. Every moment since then, even Christmas Eve of 2003, were the best moments Tony had ever had and he wouldn’t trade them for anything.

“You’re welcome, kiddo.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this! Don't forget to leave comments and kudos if you did, I always look forward to your guys' amazing feedback because it keeps me going! Follow me on Instagram (@cold.nights.summer.days) and tumblr (unfathomable-universe) for updates on my current projects and other Marvel related content. 
> 
> Until next time lovelies, don't forget to take care and remember to love yourselves because you're made of stardust :)


End file.
